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Ay. !Z . J'('lY J 
The Ruby-throated Hummingbird. 
( Trochilus coluhris.) 
What was to me one of the luckiest 
finds I made last year was the nest and 
eggs of the Hummingbird. 
I had been collecting in an orchard and 
thought I had ransacked it pretty thor- 
oughly. While working my way out, a 
Hummingbird darted past, inducing me to 
follow in the direction it had gone. I had 
not proceeded far when I saw the bird 
dart from a limb and after a few moments 
re-appear and alight on the same limb. 
This convinced me that there was a nest 
somewhere in the vicinity. Dodging care- 
fully from tree to tree, I cautiously ap- 
proached the bird and had succeeded in 
getting quite near, when suddenly catch- 
ing sight of me, he darted away. Hastily 
getting as near the limb as I thought pru- 
dent, I awaited his return. In company 
with his mate he was soon back. By the 
frantic way in which they darted around 
my head, I was convinced that their treas- 
ure was within a few feet of me. Turn- 
ing my head, I beheld the prize — so near 
that a step to the right would have 
knocked the eggs from the nest. There 
were two pearly white eggs,' my delight in 
discovering which may be more easily im- 
agined than described. When I had re- 
covered my equanimity, I retired a short 
distance and sat down to watch the habits 
of the birds, as this was the first nest of 
the species I had ever found. 
They soon thought I had gone, and the 
female returned to the task of incubation. 
She would fly along until directly over the 
nest and about an inch above it, when 
suddenly closing her wings, she would 
drop into it and settle herself in position. 
The male meanwhile kept watch on an ad- 
joining limb. I frightened the female off 
her nest several times for the purpose of 
watching this manoeuvre, which was re- 
peated each time. Finally concluding that 
I had learned all that I could, I started 
forward to take the nest, when I was as- 
sailed on both sides by the infuriated 
mites, who darted past my face so close 
that I began to be afraid of my eyes. 
They kept chirping loudly all the time, 
which I see is denied by some writers, 
who, had they been present, would never 
have denied it again. 
The nest was built near the extremity 
of an apple bough, and was not more than 
five feet from the ground. To describe 
the - nest, I cannot do better than quote 
OGIST. 53 
Nest of Ruby-throated Hummingbird (full size, from nature.) 
from my note-book. “ The nest is an ex- 
ceedingly small structure, being not more 
than three to three and one-half inches in 
circumference, one inch in diameter, and 
half an inch deep — inside measurements — 
and an inch and a half high. It is com- 
posed of thistledown, willowdown, cob- 
webs and caterpillar’s silk. It is plas- 
tered all over the outside with lichens. 
The lining is of the materials named. 
One peculiarity of this nest is that a pine 
needle of extra length is just caught on to 
the side by a few turns of cobwebs as if 
for ornament, and projects from each side 
about two inches.” — E. M. Hasbrouk, 
Syracuse, N. Y. O.&O. IX.May.18Bt.p i'? 
HI 
